Entertainment

Facebook Beacon Collects Data on Non-Users Too

As if Facebook Beacon didn't have enough trouble. Or should I say, Facebook Beacon isn't already giving us enough trouble? A report from Computer Associates indicates that Facebook's Beacon project, which we all know collects data from third party sites regarding your purchases, gathers info on people that are not even Facebook users, as well as Facebook users that aren't currently signed in (if you've checked the 'remember me' box).

The affiliate sites (those that have stuck around) are collecting all of this data already, and so for those that have signed up to Facebook's Beacon project, the pertinent data is being sent along to Facebook anyway.

What's it to Facebook?

Nothing, really. I'd be very concerned, however, if this data were being used to match up new users or those that reactivate accounts. I don't see this as being a realistic possibility, but the whole concept of Facebook still taking in data on people that have nothing to do with its social network is very uncomfortable for some.

But had Beacon not stirred up so much trouble to begin with, this particular fact may never have come about to gain so much attention. Wouldn't we expect Facebook to still get data on the third party site? How would Facebook know otherwise which data is associated with a user or not?

The question of importance is how the data is being used. Facebook says this data is deleted, as there's nothing that Facebook can actually do with the data. Despite this explanation and the other tweaks Facebook has done to appease privacy groups and MoveOn, Facebook seems to be doing far more clean up duty than reveling in the innovative spamminess that Beacon is.

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